John Bolt, Vice President of BB&T in Greer, accepted the inaugural Greer Economic Development Chairman’s Award today on behalf of the bank at the GDC's 10th anniversary luncheon at City Hall.

Reno Deaton, GDC Executive Director, gave the annual report that reflected positive gains in 2011 and good early growth in the first quarter this year. Dennis Hennett, vice chairman of the board is rotating off to concentrate on his duties as CEO at Greer State Bank. Hennett retired and was recalled to lead the bank. Dave Edwards, Executive Director at the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport in Greer, has been approved as Hennett’s replacement.

Belk department store at 873 W. Wade Hampton Blvd. is rethinking its decision to remodel the store this year instead of 2013. When the Charlotte-based company earlier committed to remodeling 30 stores in 2012 the Greer store was not one of them.

Greer’s Belk remodeling was projected in the 2013 corporate plans. However, major retail events in Greer may be changing that timetable. GreerToday.com first reported Kohl’s (Jan. 22) setting up as the centerpiece at Piedmont Plaza and Walmart putting South Carolina’s first Neighborhood Market (Jan. 18) in the Greer Plaza.

The Kohl's department store in Greer will feature the retail chain's focus on its 60,000-square foot format that has proved to be more profitable since its launch 10 years ago.

Kohl's (NYSE: KSS) will up fit the former Kmart store at Piedmont Plaza at 1326 W. Wade Hampton Blvd. Kmart's square footage is 66,233-square-feet and fits squarely in Kohl's format. The Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based company launched the smaller stores in 2012 in smaller communities. The smaller stores returned better financial reports than the chain's 90,000-square-foot prototype, thus the national shift.

Bi-Lo is moving its corporate headquarters to Jacksonville, Fla., company officials announced today.

The move follows a completed merger Friday when Bi-Lo bought Winn-Dixie for $9.50 a share in cash, a total of $560 million. The shares, which will now cease trading, added a penny to close at $9.51 on Friday.

Bojangles' will be giving away more than 600,000 Homestyle Tenders free to customers who schedule an online reservation to pick up their four-piece snack. The launch is for the mild, boneless tenderloin filets that is the fast food restaurant's newest menu item. A new Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce will also be introduced.

Here's all you have to do. Visit www.homestyletenders.com now to sign up for a 30-minute time slot between 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., from March 19 – 25, during which you can pick up your free four-piece Homestyle Tender snack at one of the nearly 50 participating Bojangles’ across Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina.